Prof Dame Sarah Gilbert says this will not be the last time a virus threatens our lives and our livelihoods

Analysis: changes to cabinet and public mood from last year make further restrictions less likelyThe date ringed in red in Westminster is 18 December – not the date for Christmas parties but the time by which people should start to know how different their festive plans may look.For this government it is quite an inauspicious date, just a day before soaring cases forced Boris Johnson to finally put the brakes on Christmas mixing plans last year and tell most families they would be spending celebrations apart. Continue reading...

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical conceptsOn the weather forecasts, they always say: “With the wind, it’ll feel like …” How is the wind-chill factor calculated? Mick Rawlinson, BrightonSend new questions to nq@theguardian.com.Wind chill factor was designed for a limited purpose. It measures heat loss from exposed areas of the human body, like hands and face, in low temperatures and measured wind speeds. With this information, people venturing outside in exceptionally bitter weather would know an approximate time before exposed areas of the body would succumb to frostbite. BijiDog Continue reading...

Suburbia is neither glamorous nor picturesque. But this is precisely what makes it rich terrain for my booksIt’s early December and in my corner of southeast London the Christmas illuminations are going up. Garden gnomes may have fallen out of fashion, but their seasonal equivalent, inflatable Santas, are very much in evidence. There are some pockets of tasteful conformity, where entire streets observe a “house style”, but mostly it’s a delightful free-for-all. If levels of outdoor decoration reflect a state of mind in the way that rising hemlines are said to mirror economic prosperity, then the mood here among us suburbanites is one of grim defiance.Apart from three years at university and a gap year in New Zealand, I have always lived in the suburbs, within a small triangle of southeast London – Croydon in the west, Bromley in the east and Norwood in the north. (I know that for postal purposes Croydon is Surrey, but administratively and spiritually it’s south London.) When you are a child, your own life seems normal, so it was quite some time before I realised that Croydon – fictionalised by PG Wodehouse as Mitching, “a foul hole” – had a reputation for architectural mediocrity, that the suburbs in general with their crazy-paving and curtain twitching were despised by both city and country and that having been born there was something which would need repeated apology over the years. Continue reading...

Staff at zoo in Belgium investigating cause of infections, which could be first reported cases in species

Caution is sensible when so much is unknownThe race is on to understand the new variant identified by scientists in South Africa and Botswana, dubbed Omicron (the next Greek letter was “nu”, but this could have been mistaken for “new”). Fears include greater spread, worse disease or reduced effectiveness of treatments and vaccines.Increased transmission can arise from two factors. First, there is an intrinsic advantage, with a heightened “basic reproduction number” R0; in a susceptible population, that is the average number of people each case infects, although after 20 months of pandemic this has become a notional concept. It was around 3 for the original wild-type virus, compared to around 6 for Delta and possibly rather more for Omicron. Continue reading...

Our planet’s geology shaped life on Earth. But now scientists reveal it worked the other way around tooThe mighty forces that created our planet’s mountains in ancient days got some unexpected help, scientists have discovered. Their research shows some of Earth’s greatest ranges got a boost from primitive lifeforms whose remains lubricated movements of rock slabs and allowed them to pile up to form mountains.If it had not been for life on Earth, the surface of our planet would have been flatter and a lot more boring, say scientists at Aberdeen and Glasgow universities where the research was carried out. Continue reading...

Scientists are racing to establish the variant’s transmissibility, effect on immune system and chance of hospitalisation or deathThree major issues will determine the magnitude of the impact of the new Omicron variant of the Covid virus will have on the nation and the rest of the planet. What is the transmissibility of this new Covid variant? How good is it at evading the antibodies and T-cells that make up a person’s immune defences? What are the chances it will trigger severe illness that could lead to the hospitalisation, and possibly death, of an infected person?Scientists are struggling to find definitive answers to these critically important questions, although evidence already suggests Omicron has the potential to cause serious disruption. “The situation is very finely tuned and could go in many different directions,” says Prof Rowland Kao of Edinburgh University. Continue reading...

US company faces scrutiny over Covid profits after UK agrees to secrecy clause

People most vulnerable to Omicron would reportedly be offered experimental pill within 48 hours of testing positiveThe first at-home treatment for Covid-19 could reportedly be offered to UK patients before Christmas as an attempt to protect the most vulnerable from the Omicron variant.The Sunday Telegraph reported that Sajid Javid is set to launch a national pilot of the Molnupiravir antiviral pill, marketed as Lagevrio. Continue reading...

Sir Jeremy Farrar, director of Wellcome Trust, suggests emergence of Omicron variant means pandemic is far from over

If we keep allowing this virus to spread through unvaccinated populations, the next variant could be even more deadly

Are dreams a message from the soul or meaningless ‘brain farts’? Groups dedicated to interpretation are thrivingJason DeBord regrets the demise of an old parlour game once much-loved in the 19th century: What Did I Eat Last Night? It involved a player recounting their dreams – recorded in a journal upon waking – as an audience was challenged to guess what dream-provoking food they had consumed for the previous night’s supper, be it stilton, rarebit or undercooked or cured meats (all understood to be culprits when it came to colourful dreaming).“Maybe you had eaten rare beef and then you dream about cows, you know, chasing you,” explains DeBord. “It sounds like a blast, doesn’t it? I’d have loved to have played that game.” Continue reading...

In this quasi-religious programme, ‘working the steps’ is the remedy for any problem, but for me the cracks soon started to showEight of us sat together in a circle in a wooden shed, an outbuilding at a large country house, somewhere in the south of England. The door was ajar, and spring light flooded the room. “Can anyone name any treatment methods for addiction, other than the 12 steps?” asked a counsellor.“Cognitive behavioural therapy?” offered a patient. Continue reading...

We were looking forward to a summer of relative normality, then along came a new coronavirus variant

Government scientists issue stark warning on Omicron as UK reports more than 50,000 cases for second day in a row. This live blog is now closed – please follow the global Covid live blog for further updates

As new strain dampens idea pandemic might be diminishing, what does the future hold for coronavirus?

Rich nations are again raising barriers to ending the pandemic – politicians, globally, must follow the science and act together

Growing number of countries are exploring making jabs compulsory, but is it the right approach?

Orbit dropped by 310 metres briefly to avoid collision with fragment from vessel launched in 1994The International Space Station performed a manoeuvre to swerve from a fragment of a US launch vehicle, the head of Russia’s space agency has said.Dmitry Rogozin, the director general of Roscosmos, said the station’s orbit dropped by 310 metres for almost three minutes to avoid a close encounter with a particle from the American vessel, which was sent into space in 1994. Continue reading...

Disparity with white people who have lower death rate relative to infection rate suspected to be due to slower vaccine uptake

Jabs offer far higher protection than that needed to prevent hospitalisation and death, Cov-Boost trial lead says

Study finds some pollutants are correlated with higher levels of boys and others with more girlsA swathe of pollutants and indicators of poverty have been linked to changes in the ratio of baby boys to girls born to millions of parents.A study of half the US population and the entire Swedish population examined more than 100 possible factors and found, for example, that mercury, chromium and aluminium pollution correlated with more boys being born, while lead pollution increased the proportion of girls. Proximity to farming also affected the sex ratio, possibly due to higher chemical exposures. Continue reading...

Exceptional find includes biggest and most complete dinosaur skeleton ever unearthed in the countryA treasure trove of fossils of a herd of 11 dinosaurs has been identified for the first time in Italy, including the biggest and most complete dinosaur skeleton ever found in the country.Although isolated dinosaur remains have been discovered in Italy since the 1990s, palaeontologists have now identified an entire group at Villaggio del Pescatore, a former limestone quarry close to the north-eastern port city of Trieste. Continue reading...

Knowing a baby’s whole genetic code would help detect a range of health problems, but would not replace need for some existing tests

Analysis: UK’s early vaccine deployment and use of different vaccines from South Africa mean it’s too soon to say

Exclusive: experts say scheme seems designed to create valuable dataset rather than improve screeningScientists have raised concerns about a proposed overhaul of newborn screening that could lead to the UK becoming the first country to offer whole-genome sequencing for every baby.Speaking before the publication of plans for an NHS pilot study in which up to 200,000 babies’ genomes will be sequenced and analysed, scientists suggested the initiative appeared designed to create a valuable health dataset rather than an effective method of improving the diagnosis of rare diseases. Continue reading...

Boris Johnson may have given parties go-ahead but experts warn against sharing air space in poorly ventilated rooms

Drug found in trials to cut vulnerable adults’ risk of hospital admission and death by 79%

Experts hope better understanding of rare side effect of vaccine could help ‘turn the tide’ on pandemic

Of 32 reassessed applications, six were ranked high enough to be recommended for potentially career-defining fundingResearchers who challenged the Australian Research Council’s rejection of critical funding applications on the basis of a controversial rule change have been vindicated, with their appeal upheld and 32 previously rejected projects deemed eligible for funding.Researchers across the sciences and humanities were left furious and frustrated in August after their applications for Australian Research Council (ARC) fellowships were rejected because of a new rule that banned preprint material from being cited. Continue reading...

Vegan leather alternative isn’t just the hot fashion must-have – it could teach us about consumption and wasteVegan alternatives to leather could save more than just animals. The scientists behind fashion’s new latest must-have – the “mushroom leather” handbag – believe that mycelium, a material grown from fungi which can be engineered to look and feel like calfskin or sheepskin, could help save the planet.Speaking to the Guardian before a talk at the Business of Fashion Voices conference in Oxfordshire, Dr Matt Scullin, CEO of biomaterials company MycoWorks, forecast that mushroom leather could be a sustainability gamechanger, “unlocking a future of design which begins with the material, not with the object”. Continue reading...

Sore, blurry eyes, decaying teeth, spreading feet – the strange, difficult years of coronavirus have had unexpected effects on our general healthThis year, out of nowhere, my left heel has started hurting. Is it the onset of some degenerative condition, a normal byproduct of ageing, or simply pandemic life, I wonder. After all, living through this period has had surprising health consequences – even for people who have not caught coronavirus. It has recently emerged, for instance, that the Covid era has been a global hair-loss event – a clear manifestation of the stress everyone has been under. What else have these unprecedented times written on our bodies? Continue reading...

Clinicians around the world have noticed an increase in young adults, often women, developing ‘tic-like behaviours’ – sudden movements or vocalisations similar to what’s seen in Tourette Syndrome. Except these tics come on much later in life, and escalate more rapidly. Some have blamed the recent rise on social media – but the reality is much more complicated.Madeleine Finlay talks to Guardian reporter Sirin Kale and research psychologist Dr Seonaid Anderson about the young people experiencing this debilitating disorder, and what can be done about it.Archive: NewsNation; TikTok Continue reading...

A new Covid variant first identified in South Africa is spreading around the world, with leaders rushing to respond. Our science correspondent Nicola Davis outlines what we know so far about the Omicron variantThe identification of a new Covid variant has sent shockwaves around the world as leaders scramble once again to close borders and reintroduce measures aimed at slowing the spread of the virus. The World Health Organization has said Omicron poses a very high risk of infection. Its ability to evade Covid vaccines is of particular concern, and the chief executive of the US drugmaker Moderna has warned there is no world where the effectiveness of vaccines is at the same level as with the Delta variant.The Guardian’s science correspondent Nicola Davis tells Hannah Moore the variant is so new to scientists there is not enough data to predict how serious a threat it could pose, but the next two weeks will be crucial. Continue reading...

US among more than 50 nations bringing in stricter border controls as variant is identified in 24 countries

Dutch microbiologist Elisabeth Bik, winner of prestigious John Maddox prize, says trust in science is being underminedA “tsunami” of poor quality research is fuelling misinformation and could undermine trust in science, the winner of the prestigious John Maddox prize has warned.Elisabeth Bik, a Dutch microbiologist turned science sleuth who on Wednesday evening won the John Maddox prize for standing up for science in the face of harassment, intimidation and lawsuits, said the intense pressure to publish papers is leading to a “dilution” of the quality of scientific literature. Continue reading...

Scientists face barrage of conspiracy theories and falsehoods at unprecedented levels, study finds

IOM report finds 9m more people displaced globally but mobility restricted due to pandemic, with vaccination proving a key factor

Senior UK scientist says extent of threat posed by Omicron will not be clear until end of year

Archaeologist compares eruption at Roman town close to Pompeii to dropping of WW2 atomic bombAn Italian archaeologist has compared the impact of the AD79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius on Herculaneum – the ancient Roman beach town close to Pompeii – to the dropping of an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima during the second world war.Such was the heat of the pyroclastic surge produced by Vesuvius – believed to have been between 400C and 500C – that the brains and blood of the Herculaneum’s victims instantly boiled. Continue reading...

More than 2bn Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered worldwide. Find out which countries are vaccinating the most

Fungi provide awe in abundance so get out there and forage in the mulch, while there’s still timeMushrooms are having a moment. Cultural depictions of fungi are proliferating: from Seana Gavin’s psychedelic mushroom collages shown at Somerset House last year; to the bestselling book Entangled Life, by the mycologist Merlin Sheldrake; we’re seeing there is more to the fungus than meets the eye. Trials into the therapeutic potential of psilocybin – derived from “magic” mushrooms – are even returning to modern medicine.And after one of the wettest summers in memory, local mushrooms are flourishing as well. Fungi-spotting reports from the public to the Royal Horticultural Society are up 76% compared with 2020, because of a bumper year.Lucy Jones is a journalist and the author of Losing Eden and The Nature Seed.

Analysis: scientists are working full tilt to answer these vital questions that may give clues as to what is to come

US, Japan and Singapore tighten rules for travellers but WHO says ‘blanket bans’ won’t contain the new Covid strain

A feat of engineering is tackling subsidence in Shanxi province, but water conservation and tree planting can also helpFissures and sinkholes are the norm in China’s Shanxi province. Intensive agriculture combined with major coal production has put huge pressure on water resources and sucked the earth dry, leaving the city of Taiyuan, with a population of 5 million, and the surrounding area suffering some of the highest subsidence rates in the world. Pipelines, roads, bridges and railways need constant repairs, and gaping cracks in buildings have resulted in entire communities having to be rehoused.Since 2003, the Chinese government has been trying to solve this problem by diverting surplus water from the Yellow River. Now satellite measurements, published in Remote Sensing of Environment, reveal that this mammoth feat of engineering – taking 1.2bn cubic metres of water every year – has partially solved the problem, with diverted water rehydrating underground pores and reversing the sinking trend. Continue reading...

Techniques could help make farm animals resistant to disease but there are fears welfare standards could dropRobust regulations must be put in place to protect the welfare of farmed animals before genome-editing procedures are approved for commercial livestock, ethicists have warned.Powerful gene-editing techniques have the potential to improve modern farming by making animals resistant to heat and disease, reducing methane emissions and increasing productivity, but the same approaches could also exacerbate animal welfare problems, the Nuffield Council on Bioethics says. Continue reading...

Archaeologists say neolithic version of energy bars may also have been eaten at midwinter feastsAfter a day enduring midwinter winds whipping off Salisbury Plain, the ancient builders of Stonehenge may have warmed up with a prehistoric version of the mince pie, archaeologists have suggested.The hardy engineers of the great Wiltshire monument might also have kept themselves going by nibbling on their version of energy bars made of berries, nuts and animal fat. Continue reading...

Two cases of new Covid variant found in Netherlands predate last week’s alert from South AfricaThe Omicron variant of Covid-19 was present in Europe at least 10 days ago and already appears to be spreading in the Netherlands and elsewhere.“We have found the Omicron coronavirus variant in two test samples that were taken on November 19 and 23,” the Dutch health ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. “It is not yet clear whether these people had also visited southern Africa,” the ministry added. Continue reading...